Ballypickas 1-7 Kyle 0-5
1994 Laois JHC ‘A’ Final
Ballypickas and Kyle are two of the smallest hurling clubs in Laois but they’re two clubs with proud histories, forever battling to play as high up the ranks as possible.
In 1994 they met in the Junior ‘A’ final as Kyle sought to build on their Junior ‘B’ success of the previous year, and Ballypickas aimed to make up for the disappointment of losing the 1993 final after a second replay to Portlaoise.
The Junior ‘A’ is a grade that Ballypickas have a fine record in and after Camross they’re second in the roll of honour.
In 1993 they got to the final thanks to wins over Mountrath and Trumera while on the other side of the draw Kyle beat The Harps and then Shanahoe.
In a low-scoring decider, a first half goal from captain Jim Fitzpatrick was to be the crucial score, helping Ballypickas to a 1-4 to 0-4 lead at the break.
Ronan Ryan, who top scored for Kyle with four points, reduced the deficit late in the game but a couple of late Christy Wallace points got the job done for Ballypickas.
For veteran goalkeeper Paddy Wallace it was a third Junior ‘A’ county medal, having previously tasted success over 30 years previously in 1963 and again in 1985.
Kyle, who had won a senior title in 1951 and a Junior in 1977, would have to wait until 2006 before they’d win the Junior grade again.
Ballypickas would win the new Junior ‘A’ competition in 2017.
BALLYPICKAS: Paddy Wallace; Francis Cahill, Ned O’Dea, Jim Gee; Brendan Keogh, John O’Dea, Anthony Carter; Michael Keogh, Michael McEvoy; Christy Wallace, Paddy McEvoy, Paul Brennan; James Fitzpatrick, Martin Murphy, Tony O’Dea. Subs: Pat O’Neill for Tony O’Dea, Seamus Peppard for Martin Murphy
KYLE: Michael Phelan; Jim Quinlan, Michael Rigney, Michael Quinlan; John Phelan, Arien Delaney, Eamon Scully; Ger England, Tom Guilfoyle; Ronan Ryan, Noel Maher, Anthony Fitzpatrick; Dan Kilmartin, Vincent Grady, Pat Gilmartin. Subs: Pat Hennessy for Pat Gilmartin, Roy Loughman for Noel Maher
REFEREE: Gerry Gaughan (Castletown)
SEE ALSO – Check out more from our County Final Memory series here
